LIFE AT THE LOCKE … Issue #28 2017-2018
March 25, 2018
Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff, and Students,
We finally had a full week of learning last week! It looks like a clear week ahead with 4 days of learning. It is a very busy time of year. Let’s see what’s happening…
Monday, March 26th is a “D” day. Please plan accordingly for the week.
Friday, March 30th is Good Friday. School will be closed.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @LockeMiddle
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The journey is the reward.” —Chinese Proverb
REPORT CARDS/LAST DAY OF TRIMESTER
Monday, March 26th is the last day of the trimester and grades will be published on March 28th. Trimester 3A classes begin on Tuesday, March 27th.
PARENT CONFERENCES
Parent conferences are on Wednesday, March 28th from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. As we did in December, we are using a computer program called PTC wizard to schedule conferences. Conferences will be 5 minutes long and each teacher will have 24 openings. There are several openings still available. There is a possibility that a teacher will be booked and you will not be able to schedule a conference with a particular teacher. If that does occur, I encourage you to utilize email, meet individually with the teacher at another time, or schedule a team meeting. The link below will take you to the website to schedule your parent meetings. If you did not register in December, you will need to register and create an account. If you have already done that, your username and password will be the same as before. You will also need to know your child’s teachers’ names in order to schedule the meetings. The site will provide a list of names for you to choose from. Here is the link:
AFTER SCHOOL THIS WEEK
HW Club and late buses will continue on Monday and Wednesday this week. We will not have HW club or late buses on Thursday.
TALKING TO YOUR TWEEN ABOUT PUBERTY WORKSHOP
Parents and guardians of Grade 6 students are invited to attend an
informational workshop 'Talking to Your Tween about Puberty,' in room 314 at 5:30 on March 28th prior to the start of parent conferences at 6:00. Mrs. Carpenter will share the Grade 6 growth and development (puberty) curriculum and provide parents with the language and tools needed to feel comfortable and confident talking to their child about the changes adolescents go through during puberty. If you are unable to attend at 5:30, please feel free to drop by Mrs. Carpenter's room at any time during conference night with questions or concerns.
informational workshop 'Talking to Your Tween about Puberty,' in room 314 at 5:30 on March 28th prior to the start of parent conferences at 6:00. Mrs. Carpenter will share the Grade 6 growth and development (puberty) curriculum and provide parents with the language and tools needed to feel comfortable and confident talking to their child about the changes adolescents go through during puberty. If you are unable to attend at 5:30, please feel free to drop by Mrs. Carpenter's room at any time during conference night with questions or concerns.
CPR PROGRAM – GRADE 6
In partnership with the Billerica Fire/Police Departments and Town Paramedics we will be conducting the CPR program at the Locke from March 26th through March 29th. Billerica firefighters and town paramedics will join Mrs. Carpenter's Grade 6 health classes to conduct CPR certification training. It’s important that your child attend all four days of the training so please make every effort not to schedule appointments during that week.
LOCKE MONSTERS ROBOTICS NEWS
On March 10th, our own Locke Monsters Robotics Team competed in the Southern New England VEX Robotics Regional Championship in Framingham, MA. All 3 of our robots, 8025A, 8025B, and 8025C made it all the way to the semi-finals, which alone was quite a feat! All 3 were strong competitors, even facing off against each other with 8025A and 8025C in one alliance pitted against 8025B in an opposing alliance! Locke Monsters Team 8025B and their 2 alliance partners were the Tournament Champion. This win at the Regionals means that Team 8025B qualifies to participate in the VEX World Robotics Championship in Louisville, KentuckyApril 25th-28th, 2018! At the World Championship, the Locke Monsters Robotics team will represent Billerica, Massachusetts in a field of teams from over 31 countries. The Locke Monsters Team is proud to represent Billerica at this event!
This opportunity comes with a hefty price tag of approximately $12,000! Your support has made all the difference in getting this far. We now ask that you consider helping the team get to Kentucky for the finals. There are several ways that you can help!
1. Online donations are a safe and easy way to support the Locke Monsters from the comfort of your home. Just use the link below for more detailed information and easy donating!
2. Donations may be sent into the school at any time. Checks should be made payable to Locke Middle School with Locke Monsters Robotics in the memo line. We would be happy to provide receipts upon request.
3. Come visit our table at Parent-Teacher Conference night this Wednesday, 3/28! We will be demonstrating our robot, will have information available, homemade baked goods and water for sale (Great if you don't have time for dinner before arriving to meet with teachers), and of course, we'll be happy to accept donations via cash or check. We will also have a fun 50/50 raffle opportunity in which you can choose from 100 numbered squares at $10 each for a chance to win $500!
4. Join us Wednesday, April 4th from 11 AM to 9 PM at Liberty Bell Restaurant in Billerica center. Liberty Bell will donate a portion of all dine in and take out orders with presentation of a flyer, which will be provided in next week's newsletter and on the Locke PTO Facebook page.
5. Come see us as we demonstrate one of our robots, which will be equipped to accept donations, in front of Java's Brewin’ in N. Billerica from 8 AM - 12 PM onSaturday, April 7th.
6. Share our information! Please help us get the word out as the more people hear about us and this amazing opportunity, the more support we may get. Corporate support is also welcome. Please feel free to share the attached information with anyone you feel may be interested.
You can follow us on Facebook at Locke PTO and share our posts, and also follow us on twitter at @Locke Robotics and retweet our tweets!
We can't wait to represent Billerica and appreciate all your support!
YEARBOOK SALES
Yearbook orders being collected by Mrs. Milner now through May 31st . $20 cash or check (made out to Locke middle school) enclosed in an envelope or ziploc labeled with student’s name.
VETERAN PACKS FOR HOPE
We are collecting various items for our veterans. Please see the attached flyer for what is needed. Please turn donations into the main office. Thank you for your help!
8th GRADE BMHS COURSE SELECTION
Throughout the month of March, 8th-grade students will be participating in BMHS course selection. Emails were sent to parents earlier this month from our counseling staff with the timeline regarding this process. Please do not hesitate to ask us any questions regarding this important transition.
MCAS TESTING SCHEDULE (coming up soon!)
Please see the attached MCAS schedule for this spring.
MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK
Last Week’s Answer: a. 1/12 of the pie b. 18p units
“It’s not easy being green”
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, let’s look at the word GREEN. There are not too many real words that can be made from the letters in GREEN. For this problem, though, let’s see how many ways we can arrange the five letters in the word GREEN, even if they don’t form real words. But let’s also add a restriction: any arrangement must keep the two Es together. How many such arrangements are there?
SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
The 2018 summer enrichment program will be held at the Locke. Please see the attached flyer and the link below:
PTO CORNER
Coming Right Up... The Locke PTO will have a table at the school during Parent-Teacher conferences this Wednesday, March 28th. We will have information available, as well as gift cards and Locke Middle School apparel for sale. Please stop by! We would love to see you!
Did you know? ... Marshall's Autobody Experts on Pond Street is celebrating its' 40th year in business. For the past 10 years, their Donate to Educate program has donated $25 to a school's PTO fund for any vehicle repaired at their facility for a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, etc. of a student at any school in Billerica. In honor of our 40th year in business, we would like to increase the amount to $40 for each repair! Simply inform a Marshall's representative of the school that should receive the donation, and they will issue a check. It's that simple. Please see the attached flyer and feel free to share this information with family and friends. Thank you!
Stress-Free Fundraiser... Traditional fundraisers not your thing? Our Alternative/ Stress-Free Fundraiser runs throughout the school year. Donations can be sent in at any time and are sincerely appreciated. 100% of all donations go to the Locke PTO to directly benefit the students and staff at the Locke. Checks should be made payable to Locke PTO in an envelope marked Locke PTO. Forms are helpful but not mandatory if Stress-Free Fundraiser is on the memo line of your check.
Positions/ Volunteer Opportunities: Even with all the snow days we've had, the end of this school year will indeed be coming soon! We really need a volunteer(s) to "shadow" our current chair people for the following position to take over at the end of the 2017-2018 school year: Co-Vice President (fundraising). The Locke PTO cannot fund any of the special programs, scholarships, teacher requests, transportation for trips, or Field Day without fundraising. Please let us know if you are willing to help! Please reach out for more information or to express your interest in any of these positions. Thank you! Without the help of parent volunteers stepping up to give some time and share their expertise, we simply cannot have a successful PTO. Please help us continue our mission to make Life at the Locke the best it can be!
Volunteer Opportunities... The Locke PTO welcomes any and all help that parents are willing to give. We have many different opportunities to help out, some at our school or in other parts of Billerica and some that you can do from home. No amount of time and effort is too little, so please take a look at the attached list and let us know what you can do to help us make Life at the Locke that much better! Remember, even if each parent or family volunteers one hour of their time and effort, it all adds up and benefits all our kids and our Locke community. Forms may be sent to school with your child labeled Locke PTO or simply send us an email atbillericalockepto@gmail.com letting us know how you would like to help! Thank you!
Box Tops for Education: Please save and send us your Box Tops from Education. Each box top you are willing to clip from a Box or other container from your grocery store purchase and send into the school earns the Locke PT0 10 cents toward supplies, events, and programs for the children. Please make sure that the expiration dates remain intact so that we can receive credit. Box tops should be turned in in either an envelope or Ziploc bag clearly labeled with your child's name and homeroom number. Thank you!
Upcoming PTO Meetings: (All Mondays, 6:30 PM) April 2nd, May 14th, June 4th
Please contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have at billericalockepto@gmail.com or by calling Faith Stevens at 978-667-6676 or 978-314-3389. Thank you!
Don't forget to like and follow Locke PTO on Facebook!
ABSENCES
If your child is going to be absent, please call 978-528-8650 to report the absence. You can leave a voicemail at this number which goes directly to our secretary. You may also email our secretary, Ms. Battcock at pbattcock@billericak12.com
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:
- March 26th – Day 120, Last day of trimester 2
- March 27th – First day of Trimester 3A
- March 28th – Trimester 2 grades published
- March 28th – Parent Conferences, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
- March 29th – 7A field trip
- March 30th – No school, Good Friday
- April 2nd – PTO meeting, 6:30 PM
- April 4th – School Council, 6:00 PM
- April 9th, 10th – MCAS Grade 8 ELA Sessions 1,2
- April 11th, 12th – MCAS Grade 7 ELA Sessions 1,2
- April 13th – Early Release – 11:40
- April 16-20 – April Vacation
- April 24th – 7 th grade presentation, author of “Refugee”
- April 25th, 26th – MCAS ELA Grade 6
- April 27th – 8 th grade presentation, Museum of Science
- April 27th- May 4th – MCAS ELA Make-ups
ATTACHMENTS: